dormitzer



2 R E Z T I M R O D A CHAIR FOR WASHING WINDOWS.

No. 498,464. Patented May 30, 1893.

lNVENTO/Y Kw ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. DORMITZBR. CHAIR FOR WASHING WINDOWS.

Patented'May so, 1893.

/ ATTORNEYS.

mus rzrzns no. mommnq. WAsl-mmm STATES UITE i1= ANNA DORMITZER, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

CHAIR FOR WASHING WINDOWS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,464, dated May 30,1893.

Application filed January 12.1893J Serial No. 458,108. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANNA DORMITZER, a resident of New York, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented an Improved Chair forWashing Windows, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein-Figure 1 is a-vertical section of my improved chair for washing windows,the line 11, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is an innerface view of said chair. Fig. 3 is a detail section,.on an enlargedscale, of the outer brace of said chair and its connections. Fig. 4 is aface view of the chair when folded together; Fig. 5 a side view of thesame when folded together; Fig. 6 a detail vertical section on the line6'6 Fig. 7; Fig. 7 a detail bottom View of the front locking latch; Fig.8 a detail vertical section of the lower part of the inclinedladder-support and brace. Fig. 9 is a detail view of a portion of thebottom of the chair. 1 p

This invention relates to certain improvements in chairs and laddersthat can be used on windows of houses when the same are to be washed orrepaired, &c.

The invention consists in certain details of improvement that arehereinafter more fully described.

The main features of my chair are a plat form properA (see Fig. l),afront downwardly extending brace-piece B, a rear downwardly extendingbrace-piece C, an upwardly extending brace-frame D, and an upwardlyextending ladderframe E. When I said downwardly and upwardly projectingas to the parts B, O, D, E, I mean with reference to the platform A inthe position of use, which is represented in Fig. 1. In this same figurethe letter F represents the window-sill, and G the wooden molding on topof said window-sill. Assuming that the platformA is a rectangularplatform having the proper length to extend across the top of the sill Fand molding G, I will first state that the front downwardly extendingbrace B is hinged to the under part of the platform A so that it can befolded substantially flat against said platform, as in Fig. 5, orextended at right angles as in Fig.

1. The hinge connection between the downwardly extending front brace Band the platform Ais indicated at a. in Fig. 6. From the same figure andalso from Fig. lit will appear that when the brace B is folded down inthe vertical position to the platform A, an upper cross-bar b, whichforms part of this brace-frame B, folds against the inner face of adownwardly extending ledge d on the frame A. By this means thedownwardly extending brace B is prevented from folding outward fartherthan the ledge d will permit. It also appears from Fig.6 that themovable downwardly extending brace B carries at the lower side of itsupper bar h an outwardly extending spring e which has'an apertureadapted to receive a pinfthat projects downward from the ledge d. Itfollows that whenever the downwardly extending brace B is swung on itshinge into the vertical position, its spring 6 snaps into or over thepin f and thereby locks the parts A B in the position shown in Figs. 1and 6. As a matter of further security for holding the brace B in properposition, it is connected with a set of slotted and pivoted guidebracesg, of which one is shown by full lines in Fig. 5 and one shown in theoperative position by dotted lines in Fig. 1. This downwardly projectingframe B carries a pivoted step h which when folded out as in Fig. 1 isheld suspended by jointed braces i that connect with the upper part ofthe brace proper B. On the inner side this downwardly extending brace Bcarries cushion-like projections j that are intended to bear'against theinner face of the wall below the window, on the room side of the window.When this downwardly projecting inner brace is to be folded up againstthe platform A for stowing away the entire contrivance, the step hisfirst folded into the body of the front brace B, and after that thesnap-spring lock 6 f is opened and the entire brace B folded against theun der side of the platform A, as in Fig. 5. In this position it can belocked by a set of hooks Z.

The rear downwardly projecting brace 0 forms part of a sliding carriageH which is guided on rails that are formed on the under side of theplatform A. These rails are indicated at m in Fig. 4. A nut n is carriedby this carriage H and receives a screw I which has its bearings in theplatform,on theunder side thereof. By turning the screw, the entirecarriage H with all its appurtenances is slid forward or backward andwith it the downwardl y projecting brace, so that the distance betweenthe braces B and G (which of course must depend upon the thickness ofthe wall and the extending sill) may, by turning this screw bedetermined.

In order to prevent the strain upon the brace C from bending the sameoutward and thus loosening the firm grip which the contrivance isintended to have upon the wall of the building, I have provided thebrace O with outwardly and upwardly projecting prongs 0, whose lowerends are hinged or pivoted to said brace C, while their upper ends areclosely under roughened rails 88 (see Figs. 3 and 4) that are secured tothe under side of the platform A. These prongs 0 carry below theirpivotal connection pa downwardly projecting arm g, which by a pin t thatextends through the brace O connects with a plate to on the inner sideof said brace, all as clearly shown in Fig. 3, sothat whenever theplateu is by contact of the brace C with the sill F- pressed outward,the prongs 0 will thereby be tightly forced against the serrated rails8, thereby forming stiffeners for the brace O, bracing the same againstoutward pressure or displacement. Yet the moment the brace G is movedoff the sill F by a turn of the screw I, the plate a becomes free andpermits the prongs 0 to drop off the serrated rails, in manner indicatedin Fig. 3, so as to thereby allow the brace G to be moved fartheroutward for taking the chair off the window.

In order to properly support the platform A in a horizontal position ona window having the wooden molding G, I have applied to the under sideof the chair-platform A two wedge-shaped blocks J whose upper faces bearagainst the under side of the platform A, while their inclined lowerfaces are adapted and intended to bear wholly or in part on the Woodenmolding G of the window-frame. These two wedge-shaped blocks J areunited together by a cross-bar r which rigidly connects t-hem,and whichcross-bar in its middle portion is carried by the carriage H, so that asthe carriage H is moved backward and for ward byturning the screw I, thewed ge-shaped blocksJ will be moved forward and backward likewise.Still, in order to supply a means of relative adjustment between theblocks J J and the outer brace 0, when both are carried by the samecarriage H, I have provided each block J on its inner face with atoothed barw, into the notches of which the ends of the rod r are ableto be sprung. By. this means Iam enabled to first adjust eachWedgeshaped block J in its relation to the brace C, so that it willoccupy the desired position for a particular window, and then, afterthat, the ends of the rodrhaving been sprung into the desired notch ofeach rack w, I am enabled by turning the screw I to move the wedgeshapedblocks and'the brace 0 simultaneously forward into the locking position,which is indicated in Fig. 1.

To the rear portion of the platform A, on its upper side, is hinged theupwardly extending brace-frame D, which at its upper end is pivotallyconnected with the ladder-frame E. This ladder-frame carries a series ofpivoted steps L L that are supported byjointed braces X, as shown inFig. 1. These steps L may also have inwardly projecting hinged eyes y,through which vertical bars M can be passed, whose lower ends entersockets in the platform A for helping to steady the steps and as guidesfor the person using them. These steps and their connection with theupright bar M do not, however, constitute part of the present invention.The lower end of each upright of the ladder-frame E (see Fig. 8) carriesan outwardly projecting snap-spring a with a press-button thereon, as atb and is adapted to enter a socket d that is formed on the outer side ofthe chair-platform A, both said sockets 01 being shown in Fig. 4. Eachof these sockets d has a perforation for the purpose of receiving theprong of the snapspring (t so that as soon as the ladder upright E isinserted into the socket 01 the spring a will snap into the hole of saidsocket, and thereby lock the ladder-frame in the desiredposition,namely, to said socket. When afterward for folding the entirechair together it is desired to withdraw the ladderframe from thesesockets, it is only necessary to press the springs 01, inward soas toclear them from the sockets, whereupon the ladder-frame may be withdrawnfrom the latter.

When the chair which I have endeavored to describe is to be foldedtogether, the steps L L are first folded into the ladder-frame E (therods M being withdrawn of course and the loops 1 being turned upon thesteps); after this the springs a are pressed in, and the lower ends ofthe ladder-frame E are withdrawn from the sockets d After thistheladder-frame E is folded against the brace-frame D, and both togetherare then folded down fiat upon the top of the platform A (see Fig. 5),to which they may then be hooked by a hook as at 6 The inner brace B isthen, after first unfastening the lock 6 f (the step It havingpreviously been folded into B), turned flat against the under side ofthe platform A, all as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and in this compact formthe chair can be convenientlystowed away and retained until required forfurther use, when it is as conveniently spread apart into the operativeposition shown in Fig. 1'.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination ofthe chair-platform A having front downwardly extending ledge d and pin fon said ledge, with the hinged front brace 13 having upper cross-piece badapted to contact with the inner face of said ledge and havingsnap-spring e adapted to connect with the pin f, substantially as andfor the 3. The combination of the chair-platform A having innerdownwardly projecting brace B with the outer downwardly projecting brace0, means for moving the same substantially as described, with. theupwardly extending prongs 0 carried by and extending from said brace O,serrated rails s s on the under side of the platform A, and meanssubstantially as described carried by the said brace O, for causing theprongs 0 to automatically engage the rails s s substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

4. The combination of the chair-platform A, sliding carriage H, screw Ifor moving said carriage and downwardly projecting brace C attached tosaid carriage-,with the hinged upwardly projecting prongs 0 on saidbrace, said prongs having downwardly projecting arm q, and with the pint projecting from said arm q through the body of the brace,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the chair-platform A, sliding carriage H, screw Ifor moving said carriage and downwardly projecting brace 0 attached tosaid carriage, with the hinged upwardly projecting prongs 0 on saidbrace, said prongs having downwardly projecting arm q, with the pin 25projecting from said arm q through the body of the brace, and plate u onthe inner end of said pin, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

6. The combination of the chair-platform A with the downwardly extendingsliding wedgeshaped blocks J J having racks w and with the slidingcarriage I-I having downwardly projecting outer brace O, and with thecrossbar *I' carried by said carriage H and having its ends free to besprung into the notches of and for. the purpose described. 7

7. The combinationof the chair-platform A with the upwardly projectinghinged braceframe D and wit-hithe ladder-frame E pivoted to the upperpart of said brace-frame D,said ladder-frame having springs a at thelower end, and with the perforated sockets d which are fastened to theplatform A, all substanthe racks or toothed bars w, substantially astially as and for the purpose herein shown and described. v

ANNA DORMITZER.

Witnesses:

JAMES ILSUYDAM, CHARLES E. SMITH.

